News Digest
September 20, 2023
September 18
Diplomacy: Iran released five Americans as part of a prisoner swap with the United States. The four men and one woman had been imprisoned on unproven charges of espionage. One had been held since 2015. In return, the Biden administration released five Iranian men imprisoned in the…
September 13, 2023
September 11
International: Israel “would have to act” if Iran enriched uranium above 60 percent, just below the weapons-grade level of 90 percent, Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi vowed. “There would not be any choice,” he added, as such an escalation would indicate that “we have…
September 7, 2023
September 4
Nuclear: Iran slowed uranium enrichment to 60 percent, according to the IAEA. It enriched 7.5 kilograms (16.5 pounds) of uranium to 60 percent between June and August 2023. In the first half of 2023, Tehran enriched more than 50 kilograms of uranium to near weapons-grade. The IAEA…
September 6, 2023
August 28
Domestic: Pop singer Mehdi Yarrahi was detained by police for criticizing the mandatory hijab ban in his song “Roosarito”, Farsi for “Your Headscarf.” The song encouraged women to remove their headscarves and featured the slogan “Woman, life, freedom,” often chanted by protesters. “Don’t…
August 28, 2023
August 21
International: The U.S. Defense Department rejected Tehran’s claim that the Iranian Navy had intercepted U.S. Navy vessels, based on edited footage. “That report is not true,” said Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh. “So I don’t know where that’s coming from, but we’ve seen…
August 16, 2023
August 14
Diplomatic: Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian will visit Saudi Arabia “in the near future,” the foreign ministry announced. Spokesman Nasser Kanani did not provide a specific date but said that “the relations between the two countries are progressing step by step” since they…
August 11, 2023
August 7
Domestic: Iran opened candidate registration for the March 2024 parliamentary elections. They were the first national elections since protests rocked the country in 2022. Candidates for the 290-seat parliament could register online.
Military: More than 3,000 American military personnel…
August 4, 2023
July 31
International: Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said that Iran would “never hold talks with the U.S. on the basis of trust” and would only enter negotiations “to fulfill the country’s national interests.” At a press conference, Kanaani added, “we are making efforts to have the…
July 27, 2023
July 24
Domestic: Authorities closed a Tehran office of Digikala, Iran’s largest e-commerce site, after the company published pictures of female employees without hijab at a company gathering. Iran’s judiciary announced that legal proceeds would begin soon.
Security: Iran’s Intelligence…
July 21, 2023
July 17
International: Finance Minister Ehsan Khandouzi announced a series of joint trade and cooperation projects between Iran and China. “China is Iran’s largest trading partner and the most important for the export of Iranian goods and an important part of our imports are also from China,”…